Police: 15-year-old Wapato boy ambushed, shot in the head

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WAPATO, Wash. -- A 15-year-old Wapato boy is recovering in a Seattle hospital after being shot in the head in what police are calling an ambush style attack in the middle of the night.

Surveillance footage obtained by KIMA show several men running away seconds after police say they sprayed a car with bullets on Harding Avenue and North Track Road last week.

Neighbors who heard the shots did not want to be identified.

"It was pretty close. You could see flashes in the window," said a witness, who wanted to be identified as 'Max.' "We all ran to the back; we didn't know what was going on.

Wapato police say the car was being driven by a 19-year-old man.

The car's back window is now blown out and the body is riddled with bullet holes.

Neighbors in the area say it's a quiet and safe place to live. But, crime scene paint still shines bright against the backdrop of this neighborhood where neighbors tell Action News they're now concerned for their safety.

Detectives believe the attack was gang-related, but it's the style of the shooting that's raising eyebrows.

KIMA asked, "It appears to be ambush style attack. Is that unusual?"

"For the city of Wapato, it's a very unusual thing," said Wapato Police Officer Randy Sperle. "This is probably one of the first ones I've seen at this level."

Action News pulled the numbers and found there have been 10 shots fired calls reported to police so far this month.

There were 11 for all of last month and five for September.

"Nobody wants to come outside cause we don't know if these people are hiding in the bushes," said 'Max.'

Investigators think up to four people were in on the attack.

They are following several leads, but have yet to make arrests.

As for the 15-year-old boy, he's listed in serious but stable condition, while the driver was not injured.